Automatic spacing and locking means for presses



June 9, 1925. 4 1,541,335

R. w. EASTMAN AUTOMATIC SPACING AND LOCKING NEANS FOR PRESSES Filed Aug. 25, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Illl I v i l I I June 9, 1925. 1,541,335

R. w. EASTMAN CING AND LOCKING MEANS FOR PRESSES Filed Aug. 23} 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (hawk M EJ45512 WEiE/ZYHZL Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED sTATEs ROBERT W. EASTMAN, OF RAGINE, WISCONSIN.

AUTOMATIC SPACING AND LOCKING MEANS FOR PRESSES.

Application filed August 23, 1924. Serial No. 733,791.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT W. EASTMAN, a' citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Spacing and Locking Means for Presses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to automatic spacing and locking means for presses.

In presses as heretofore constructed, particularly when progressive dieing was done, it has been the customary practice to release the work on the down stroke of the press. This caused the work to shift immediately before dieing operations and precluded the accurate setting of the work during the actual dieing, as the clamping-means operated just an instant before the tool reached the work. Obviously there was a great chance of the work becoming misaligned just prior to dieing. l/Vith these prior machines, therefore, very accurate positioning of the work for progressive dieing was precluded.

This inventionis designed to overcome the above noted defects, and objects of this invention are to provide an automatic lock for the work during progressive dieing with presses, which will insure the utmost accuracy in the successive-positions occupied by the work, and to provide an automatic locking device which will positively lock the Work during the down stroke of the press.

Further objects are to provide a practical, simple, and effective device which may be bodily inserted in a standard press to adapt such press to accurate progressive dieing, to provide a device whichmay be readily produced and quickly installed, and to provide an automatic progressive dieing lock which may be easily adjusted to compensate for used, the tool head 8 carries a notchm wear. a

a An embodiment of the invention is shown in'the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of the .device showing a portion of the pres with which it is associated.

Figure 2 is a detailed fragmentary view of the locking means showing the position of the parts when the punch or movable tool is part way advanced on its upward stroke.

Figure. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4: is a sectional View on the line -14 of Figure 1.

The device comprises a die block 1 or similar member which constitutes the stationary portion of the apparatus. This die block is secured within a baseb-lock 2 which is provided with outwardly extending slotted lugs 3 by means of which it may be securely attached to the bed plate 4 of a punch press. This base block 2 or bed plate for the device is provided with a pair of upwardly extending rigidly held pins 5 upon which a crosshead, 6 is guided, such crosshead being preferably provided with a plurality of sleeves or bushings 6 removably held in place by means of set screws, as shown in Figure 4c. p

This crosshead is provided with an i'n tegrally formed heavy pin or stub 7 which is adapted to be rigidly held in place in the head 7 of the press, as may be seen from Figure 1, so that the reciprocatory motion of the press head or plunger may be transmitted to the tool head 8 and the tools carried thereby. This crosshead carries the head 8 of the tool 9 and such head is preferably secured to the crosshead 8 by means of screws 10 whose lower portion may be seen in Figure 4.

It is to be distinctly understood at this portion of the descriptionv that the tool 9 may be of any desired type and need not be a punch, as shown. In order to fully illustrate the invention, however, a plurality of additional tools 11 are illustrated and are adapted to be simultaneously operated when the tool 9 cooperates with the cut out portion 12 of the die blocks. In the particular form chosen for illustration, the tool 9 is a punch of suitable shape, and the tools 11 are round punches adapted to cooperate with the die openings 13.

However, whatever type of tool may be punch 14 which is preferably cylindrica throughout a portion of its extent and provided with an inwardly directed lip. This notching tool passes through the aperture 15 in the die block, as may be seen from Figure 3 and cuts a notch in the edge of the work 16. r

In order to facilitate the retracting of the tools from the work, a stripper plate 17 is provided and is spaced from the die plate by means of spacing members 18, as may be seen from Figure 3. These spacing members constitute guides for the work 16 and allowthe operator to merely slide the work across the die block. The locking, spacing mechanism comprises an elongated rectangular slide 19 (see Figures 1, 2 and 3) which is provided with a projecting tongue 20. This tongue 20 is adapted to fit in the notches 21 formed in the marginal portion of the work 16, to thus lock the work in any one of several positions depending upon the location of the notch 21 formed by the notching tool 14. (See Figures 3 and 4.) This locking bar 19 is aperturcd and a short lever 22 passes through such aperture and vcontacts at its rear portion with either the rear portion of the aperture 23 in the locking bar, or else with an adjusting bearing screw 24 threaded into such bar, shown in Figure 1. The lever is thus the member which retracts the locking bar 19 when such lever is rocked rearwardly about its lower pivot point 25, such lever being mounted in a projecting portion 26 rigidly carried by the base block 2 of the device. This lever is urged forwardly by means of a spring 27 (see. Figure 1) and the locking bar 19 is urged forwardly by means of a pair of springs 28. (See Figure The means for rocking the lever 23 outwardly or rearwardly comprises a rod 29 passing through an aperture in the head 6 and adjustably locked in place by means of a set screw 30. This rod provided with a channel 31 having rounded ends, and is further provided with a pin 32 projecting outwardly from adjacent the lower end of the channel. Preferably the lower end of the rod is guided in an aperture 33 formed in the base block 2 of the device, as shown in Figure 1. The lever 22 is provided with a channel 34 facing the channel 31 in the. rod, as may be seen from Figure 1, and a ball 35 is located' between the lever 22 and the rod 29, and held within the channels 31 and 34.

It is to be noted that the channel 34 in the lever 22 is not a. straight uniform channel, but extends outwardly adjacent the. central portion of the lever and provides a protuberance or raised portion 36;

The operation of the apparatus is as follows :Assutning that the press is executing a downward stroke, as shown in Figure 1, the parts will "be. a position, as shown in such figure and also in Figure 3. The ball is held in the lowest portion of the channel 34 in the lever 22 and the lock bar 19 is in its innermost position thus holding the work rigidly in place while a working stroke is in progress. However, when the parts are. moving upwardly, the rod29 slides upwardly past the lever 22 and the pin 32 carries the ball 35 past the projecting portion or raised portion 36 of the lever,.as shown in Figure 2, thus rocking the lever rearwardly and retracting the locking bar, thus temporarily releasing the work during a portion of the upstroke of the press. The operator quickly slides the wvork to the left, as shown in Figure 3,

and before the last form of notch 21 in the margin of the work arrives at the tongue 20, the ball 35 has passed the projecting portion 36 of the lever 22 and the looking bar 19 snaps into place and thus locks the work positively in its new position. On the down stroke of the press, the notching punch 14 forms a new notch 21 in the work at the correct spaced position for the next or succeeding advance of the work. It is to be particularly noted, however, that on the down stroke of the rod 29, the lever 22 is not moved outwardly and consequently does not release the locking bar. This is accomplished by providing a sufficient amount of clearance in the channels 34 and 31 to allow the ball 35 to freely pass the projecting portion 36 of the lever 22 on the down stroke of the device as the ball is then carried within the main or body portions of such channels. It is only when the ball is located in the lowermost portion of the channel 31 and rests against the pin 32, during the upstroke of the rod 29, that it forces the lever 22 rearwardly.

From this detailed operation of the device, it will be seen thatthelo-cking mechanism releases temporarily only, on the upstroke of the press, and that throughout the entire downstroke of the press the work is rigidly held in position. This is a ra-dical departure from usual press work, and it accomplishes the highly desirable result of rigidly holding the work against inadvertent motion during the entire downstroke of the press, thus permitting themost accurate progressive work, and a most accurate and careful and close setting of the successive tools. i

In order to compensate for wear, for eX- ample, when the die block 1 is ground across its upper face, a plurality of shims 37 are positioned above and below the locking bar 19, as may be seen from Fgures 1, 2 and .3. These shims are held in place by means of a pair of upper plates 38 and 39 .(see Fig ures 1, 2 and 3) which are bolted to the projecting portion 26 and overhang the shims. It is to be noted that ,the shims are provided with ears 40 (see Figure which cooperate with notches formed in the portion 26, and thus rigidly hold the shims against shifting.

By the provision of these shims, the looking bar 19 is at all times held in the correct relative position to the upper face of the die block 1 irrespective of wear of the dev1ce.

-It will thus be seen that an automatic locking device has been provided for progressive punching which releases the work only on the upstroke of the press, and which looks the work througout the entire downstroke thereof.

It will further be seen that an automatic locking device has been provided which is extremely simple in its operation, which is efiective, and which may be maintained in correct adjustment relative to the die block and work.

It will further be seen that the utmost accuracy may be maintained for the work which is progressively operated upon.

It is further to be noted that a unitary device has been provided which may be very readily bodily positioned between the bed plate and head of a press in a simple and easy manner. 7

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that the invention may be variously embodied and is, therefore, to be limited only as claimed.

I claim:

1. The combination with a press having a reciprocatory head and a bed plate, of a device having a die block secured to said bed plate, a reciprocatory member having a tool and adapted to be rigidly secured to said press head, and locking means actuated from said reciprocatory member for positively locking said work throughout the entire working stroke of said tool and for releasing said work during a portion of the retracting stroke of said tool.

2. A device adapted to be secured to the lead and bed plate of a press, said device comprising a stationary die block, a movable head having a tool cooperating with said die block, and means for positively locking the work during the entire stroke of said tool as it approaches said die block and for releasing the work during the re tracting stroke of said tool.

3. A unitary device adapted to be bodily positioned within a press having a bed plate and a reciprocatory member, said device comprising a die block adapted for attachment to the bed plate, a work lock carried thereby, a head adapted for attachment to said reciprocatory member, a tool carried by said head and adapted to cooperate with said die block, and means operated by said head for releasing the work lock on the upstroke of said head.

4. A unitary device adapted to be bodily positioned within a press having a bed plate and a reciprocatory member, said device comprising a die block adapted for attachment to the bed plate, a work lock carried thereby, a head adapted for attachment to said reciprocatory member, a tool carried by said head and adapted to cooperate with said die block, and means operated by said head for releasing the work lock on the upstroke of said head, said means being wholly inoperative on the downstroke of said head, whereby the work is held positively locked throughout the entire downstroke of said head.

5. A unitary device adapted to be bodily positioned within a press having a bed plate and a reciprocatory member, said device comprising a die block adapted for attachment to the bed plate, a work lock carried thereby, a head adapted for attachment to said reciprocatory member, a tool carried by said head and adapted to cooperate with said die block, a notching tool carried by said head and adapted to form notches in the margin of the work, a locking bar having a tongue adapted to fit into said notches, a lever having a channel therein and adapted to reciprocate said bar, a rod carried by said head and having a channel in juxtaposed relation to said first mentioned channel and having a pin at the lower end of such channel and a ball located within said channels and adapted to be elevated by said pin, said lever having a projecting cam like portion adapted to contact with said bowl upon elevation thereof and to thus rock such lever rearwardly.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin.

ROBERT W. EASTMAN. 

